Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: Rabbi Jesus

In Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, authors Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg spend a lot of time explaining what it means for Jesus to be called a "Rabbi". I'm not going to describe it all, but they make their case well through describing the cultural characteristics and practices of being a rabbi in the first century.

In Chapter 4, "Following the Rabbi", they explore the custom of how students of a rabbi, or, disciples (talmidim in Hebrew) would literally leave their homes and families to live with and literally follow their rabbi wherever they went. Rabbis traditionally married later, and spent their time traveling throughout Israel, teaching from the Tanakh (the Law, Prophets, and writings, or what we now call the Old Testament). Because a rabbi was a respected position in Israel and hospitality is a vital cultural practice, the rabbi and his disciples stayed in the homes of the people they taught. 

The authors point out just how extreme this act of following was for the disciples of the rabbi. Everything he did, he did alongside them. In turn, they served him in every way except for untying his sandals (a servant's job). It was more of an apprenticeship than school. 

But the relationship went even beyond that. On page 63, the authors state, "During the time of Jesus, one's rabbi was considered to be as dear as one's own father, and it was traditional for disciples to show the same reverence for their rabbi as their father, or even more." There were even common statements that show this even deeper: "If a man's father and his rabbi are both taken captive, a disciple should ransom his rabbi first."

The authors point out that it's no wonder that Peter said things like, even if I have to die with you, I'd never disown you" (Mark 14:31). And how even more shocking is his betrayal of Jesus... and even more so, Judas'! "Peter's devotion was in direct contrast to Judas' disloyalty, highlighting how unthinkable it would have been for a disciple to betray his rabbi with a kiss! By understanding the traditional bond between the rabbi and disciple, we can also sense the depth of Peter's anguish after denying Jesus three times" (page 64).

Reading that really struck me. I always pictured it in the terms of, "They spent 3 years with Him and grew very close, so the betrayal was terrible," but now, thanks to Spangler and Tverberg, I have an even deeper sense of the horror and anguish they must have felt.